TAKING YOUR PUPPY HOME

Please be sure you have cleared your schedule and have at least 2-4 days (more is better) home with your new puppy to get him on a routine prior to returning to work. Also please be sure you have family or someone available whom can come in mid-day once you return to work, to potty & play with your puppy to give him a little break in his schedule during the first 1-2 weeks of your puppy being home. Your puppy is very young and will not be able to go long periods of time in the crate at first.

Make your first vet appointment for your puppy wellness exam within 3 business days of picking your puppy up. This is to be a wellness exam only, no vaccinations. We will provide you with an immunization record including date of birth when you pick up your puppy, please do not email for this ahead of time.

Your puppy will need an "xtra large" size crate for a standard (55-70 lbs), a "large" size for a mini (25-35 lbs), a "medium" size crate for a petite (15-25 lbs), and "small" crate for a micro/petite (8-15 lbs). All crates except the small size come with a movable divider to make it smaller while potty training.

***Do not let the weight size of each crate scare you, it's not about their weight, it's about them being able to stretch out fully as an adult.

We use the wire kind your puppy can see out of and be a part of things even when crated. This is the type of crate your puppy is acclimated to already and we highly recommend you get the same, we get them at Fleet Farm.

You will need plenty of toys, things that have dangly legs, things that crackle and crunch etc…a “Kong” is a must have (do not get the pink or blue as they are able to be chewed). Rawhide is not recommended in small twists, or bone shapes, but I do like rawhide as it helps baby teeth come out and keeps adult teeth clean. We get the oversized 10-12 inch rolls, once the puppy/dog chews it down to 1/3 of its size, we toss them so our dog does not gum up the remaining amoount and get it lodged.

You are welcome to hold your puppy on the way home, you will want to bring a towel in case he gets sick (although we try to feed early in the day so their tummies are empty when picked up). You may bring a crate if you prefer him to ride in that instead, but it may be a bit loud on the way home since he will be concerned.

Please Note: Although we vaccinate our puppies with some of the best on the market, mothers immunities can interfere with the vaccination and prevent it from working. There is no way to know when a puppy has immunity and when he doesn't.

Having immunity means a puppy has the ability to withstand a disease should they come in contact with it. Although we do not know exactly when a puppy gets immunity, what we do know is their 11 week & 15 week shots are the most important since the puppy has been weaned for several weeks. Meaning the puppies immunities it received from it's mother are low, giving the vaccination the opportunity to work and allow your puppy to build immunity from the diseases we vaccinate for.

Therefore, until your puppy receives all puppy boosters there are to be no puppy classes, puppy playdates with other puppies, dog parks etc. And you’ll need to carry your puppy into the vet, do not let him walk or lick on everything there, remember this is where all the sick dogs go.